Latest news with #AK-47
India Gazette
a day ago
- India Gazette
Odisha Police arrest Maoist leader Kunjam Hidma in Koraput
Koraput (Odisha) [India], May 30 (ANI): Odisha's Koraput Police arrested Maoist leader Kunjam Hidma alias Mohan and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 and 35 rounds of bullets. According to an official release, based on credible intelligence regarding the movement of a group of banned CPI (Maoist) cadres in the forest area near the village Petguda under Boipariguda Police Station, a special operation was launched by the District Police using the district voluntary force (DVF) on the night of May 28. In the early hours of May 29, the DVF team noticed a group of Maoists camping on the hill. As the team moved to surround it, the Maoists, on being alerted, opened fire at the DVF team and fled into the jungle. In response, the team exercised controlled fire in self-defence. During the subsequent search, one Maoist cadre, Kunjam Hidma, was apprehended while attempting to hide in the nearby bushes, and others managed to flee, said the officials. According to the officials, Hidma joined the Maoist organisation in 2007 at 14, as he was inducted into Bal Sangham and Jana Natya Mandali (JNM), the cultural wing of the Maoists. From 2007 to 2013, he remained associated with Bal Sangham and JNM. Between 2013 and 2015, he worked as a party member under the Usur Local Organisation Squad (LOS) and received military training, during which he was issued a single-shot rifle. In 2016, he started operating in the AOB (Andhra Odisha Border) platoon, and later in 2019, he was promoted to the rank of ACM (Area Committee Member) and provided with an SLR rifle. He served in a military platoon under Suresh (SZCM), operating in the Bolpariguda area of Koraput district, the cut-off area of Malkangiri district (Odisha), and the Pedabailu region of ASR district (Andhra Pradesh). During 2021-2022, he was assigned to AOB Platoon Section-01, operating in the Pamed area of Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. In 2023, he was transferred to Platoon-24 in the Kerlapal area under Sukma district, and in 2024, temporarily moved to Platoon-26, operating in the Malengiri area of Sukma. He returned to the AOB unit in May 2025 and has been active since then. Under the leadership of Suresh (SZCM) in the AOB team, he operated as an ACM in the South Bastar and Kerlapal areas of Chhattisgarh, said officials. Officials said Hidma was involved in several encounters with police and had Maoist-related cases against him in Odisha's Koraput and Malkangiri districts as well as in Chhattisgarh. (ANI)
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Maoist with Rs 4 lakh bounty arrested along with arms, ammunition in Odisha
JEYPORE/KORAPUT: Kuniam Hidma, a hardcore Maoist carrying reward of Rs 4 lakh on his head, was arrested during a combing operation jointly carried out by Koraput police and the District Voluntary Force (DVF) near Petguda village in Boipariguda during the wee hours on Thursday. Addressing mediapersons, Koraput SP Rohit Verma said Hidma alias Mohan (33) of Janaguda village in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district was an area committee member (ACM) of the banned outfit CPI (Maoist). A most-wanted Maoist operative in Odisha, Hidma was nabbed when he was trying to flee during the combing operation. Revealing details about the operation, the SP said acting on a tip-off, a team led by Jeypore SDPO Partha Kashyap launched a search in the forest near Petguda on Wednesday night. During the operation, the team spotted four Maoist cadres. In the early hours of Thursday, the Maoists opened fire at the police team. The cops responded with controlled retaliation, ensuring no casualties on their side. While three of the Maoists managed to escape, Hidma was apprehended. A huge cache of arms and ammunition besides Maoist materials were seized from the encounter site. The seized items included one AK-47 rifle, 35 rounds of ammunition, 117 electric and non-electric detonators, gunpowder, walkie-talkies, gunpowder, knives and Maoist literature. During interrogation, Hidma revealed that he joined the Maoist movement in 2007 at the age of 14. Since then, he has been actively involved in extremist operations across Malkangiri and Koraput districts in Odisha besides Sukma and Bijapur in Chhattisgarh. He is linked to several violent incidents including encounters with security forces at Chandameta, Kondajhari, Kumbhikharri and Kolengabida between 2020 and 2023.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Odisha Police arrest Maoist leader Kunjam Hidma in Koraput
Odisha's Koraput Police arrested Maoist leader Kunjam Hidma alias Mohan and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition , including an AK-47 and 35 rounds of bullets. According to an official release, based on credible intelligence regarding the movement of a group of banned CPI (Maoist) cadres in the forest area near the village Petguda under Boipariguda Police Station, a special operation was launched by the District Police using the district voluntary force (DVF) on the night of May 28. In the early hours of May 29, the DVF team noticed a group of Maoists camping on the hill. As the team moved to surround it, the Maoists, on being alerted, opened fire at the DVF team and fled into the jungle. In response, the team exercised controlled fire in self-defence. During the subsequent search, one Maoist cadre, Kunjam Hidma, was apprehended while attempting to hide in the nearby bushes, and others managed to flee, said the officials. According to the officials, Hidma joined the Maoist organisation in 2007 at 14, as he was inducted into Bal Sangham and Jana Natya Mandali (JNM), the cultural wing of the Maoists. Live Events From 2007 to 2013, he remained associated with Bal Sangham and JNM. Between 2013 and 2015, he worked as a party member under the Usur Local Organisation Squad (LOS) and received military training, during which he was issued a single-shot rifle. In 2016, he started operating in the AOB (Andhra Odisha Border) platoon, and later in 2019, he was promoted to the rank of ACM (Area Committee Member) and provided with an SLR rifle. He served in a military platoon under Suresh (SZCM), operating in the Bolpariguda area of Koraput district, the cut-off area of Malkangiri district (Odisha), and the Pedabailu region of ASR district (Andhra Pradesh). During 2021-2022, he was assigned to AOB Platoon Section-01, operating in the Pamed area of Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh . In 2023, he was transferred to Platoon-24 in the Kerlapal area under Sukma district, and in 2024, temporarily moved to Platoon-26, operating in the Malengiri area of Sukma. He returned to the AOB unit in May 2025 and has been active since then. Under the leadership of Suresh (SZCM) in the AOB team, he operated as an ACM in the South Bastar and Kerlapal areas of Chhattisgarh, said officials. Officials said Hidma was involved in several encounters with police and had Maoist-related cases against him in Odisha's Koraput and Malkangiri districts as well as in Chhattisgarh.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dallas man sentenced 18 years for running violent drug ring at local hotel
The Brief A Dallas man was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for running a violent drug-trafficking operation out of a local hotel. The operation, based at the BuZen Suites Hotel, distributed various drugs including fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine 24/7. Violent acts, including beatings and assaults, were common occurrences within the drug conspiracy. DALLAS - A Dallas man was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison today for his role in a violent drug-trafficking conspiracy operated from a local Dallas hotel. Local perspective Kenneth Ray Peters, 44, of Dallas and multiple codefendants utilized rooms at the BuZen Suites Hotel located at 2030 W. Northwest Highway, Dallas, Texas to distribute quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and other drugs. In January 2025, Peters pled guilty to his role in the conspiracy, and today, he was sentenced to 216 months' imprisonment by Senior U.S. District Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn. The drug conspiracy continued throughout 2022 and into March 2023. Court records revealed that Peters and other coconspirators utilized a serving station inside multiple hotel rooms that held quantities of various drugs, drug paraphernalia and digital scales to distribute drugs to customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to court documents, a security camera was installed in the corner of the rooms that recorded the events each day. Other coconspirators inside the rooms were paid to fill capsules with powdered fentanyl and cut and prepare other drugs for distribution. Photographs were introduced during court hearings that captured cash, drugs, and other drug trade tools. Peters admitted in court documents that violent acts committed by members of the conspiracy were common at the hotel, including multiple beatings, the pistol whipping of a customer, and the use of a lighter to burn the foot of a female customer who had passed out on the hotel room floor after ingesting drugs she had purchased in the room. Court records show that on April 19, 2023, law enforcement agents executed multiple search warrants at the hotel. Agents recovered distribution quantities of methamphetamine, powder and crack cocaine, heroin, powdered fentanyl, and counterfeit M30 pills that contained fentanyl, morphine, hydrocodone, Alprazolam and multiple kilograms of marijuana. Officers also recovered multiple handguns, one AK-47 rifle, one AR-15 rifle, body armor, multiple digital scales, syringes, and other items consistent with drug distribution. Dig deeper Other codefendants charged in Peters' indictment have already been sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Lynn. In December 2024, codefendant Derrick Alan Richardson was sentenced to 54 months in prison. In January 2025, codefendant Antoine Marquin Thompson-Stevens was sentenced to 108 months in prison. In March 2025, codefendants Keenan Bernard Allen a.k.a. "King" and Glenn Malcolm Blair a.k.a. "Slim" were sentenced to 240 months in prison. On May 8, 2025, Allen's younger brother, Corey Lanard Allen, Jr., was sentenced to 192 months in prison. The case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Dallas Police Department's Narcotics Unit. The Source Information in this article was provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Texas.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Wichita County District Attorney responds to Anthony Kienlen's sentence
WICHITA COUNTY (KFDX/KJTL) — Wichita County's District Attorney issued a statement following the sentencing of a U.S. Army veteran convicted of 16 first-degree felonies after opening fire on law enforcement officers outside his home on October 13, 2021. Anthony Michael Kienlen, 38, of Wichita Falls, was found guilty by a Wichita County jury of attempted capital murder of a peace officer on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. Kienlen also pleaded guilty to 15 counts of aggravated assault on a public servant pending against him. PREVIOUS STORY: Jury returns punishment for Anthony Kienlen On Thursday, May 29, 2025, the jury sentenced Kienlen to 30 years for attempted capital murder of a peace officer and 10 years for each of the 15 counts of aggravated assault on a public servant. John Gillespie, Wichita County District Attorney, who represented the prosecution during Kienlen's trial, issued a statement on Thursday evening following the jury's verdict on punishment. 'There are no winners in this case,' Gillespie said. 'I deeply appreciate the jurors for their verdict. Their sentence was significant and appropriate for attempting to murder a police officer in our community.' During closing arguments on Thursday morning, Gillespie said that a person shouldn't be given a minimum sentence for committing 16 first-degree felonies, arguing that Kienlen's actions didn't warrant a minimum sentence or a probation sentence. 'Opening fire on first responders in a Wichita County neighborhood with an AK-47 assault weapon can never be justified,' Gillespie said., 'His actions required consequences.' PREVIOUS STORY: Jury reaches verdict in Anthony Kienlen's trial Gillespie's full statement can be found below: 'There are no winners in this case. I deeply appreciate the jurors for their verdict. Their sentence was significant and appropriate for attempting to murder a police officer in our community. The defendant, as part of his homicidal rampage, fired a bullet that went a long way down the road and passed into a little girl's bedroom. She thankfully was not there, but could have been killed. Opening fire on first responders in a Wichita County neighborhood with an AK-47 assault weapon can never be justified. 'His actions required consequences. Also, the defense psychologist admitted the defendant was sane, not suffering from diminished capacity, and legally responsible for his lethal actions that day. 'I respect the work the jurors did in protecting the lives of first responders in our community. Their verdict was thoughtful and appropriate.' — John Gillespie, Wichita County District Attorney Gillespie said during closing arguments that the sentences will run concurrently by law, meaning all 16 will be served 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
